The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, 10th Anniversary Edition,   ISBN:9780787996864

Customer Rating: 

I was hoping this book would serve as a useful resource to conduct seminars to help people reflect and improve their teaching skills and become inspired to teach. Unfortunately, what I found were hundreds of questions based on each chapter from The Courage to Teach but little else.

Customer Rating: 

I really wanted to like this book to help guide me in the classroom. Palmer lost all credibility with me as an expert in telling teachers how to teach, when he did not have any actual High school, Middle school, or, Elementary classroom experience. As a teacher, who has taught for twenty years, I know what actually goes on in the classroom. Palmer preaches theory to College students. He has not "walked the walk." I don't think he has the authority to tell teachers how to teach, when his only high school classroom teaching experience was a joke! I teach students like Palmer's "Student from Hell" daily! If he "The Expert" couldn't motivate the student, then how will he help me? Also, if this is his definition of a "Student from Hell," Palmer better stay in his "Ivory Tower" and not bother teachers who are busy actually teaching! I have more challenging students that I deal with on a daily bases, that make this kid look like a model student! I would not reccommend this book to ANY teacher!

Customer Rating: 

I love this book, I was required to read it for a teaching class in graduate school. I want my son and my mother to read it they are both teachers. Teaching is a great vocation and this truly inspires and directs.Parker Palmer is a great writer and teacher. [[ASIN:0787996866 The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life]

Customer Rating: 

Courage to Teach is inspiring without being trite; refreshing, insightful and easy to read. It's the first non-fiction book I've read in years that has kept me up late at night turning pages. I read on the subway, and people banging into me couldn't distract me from this book by my new role model, Parker Palmer. The book combines insightful observations about the intersection of education and human nature with practical anecdotes that suggest new strategies for one's own teaching repertoire. Any educators who care about integrity and sense of self should find a few hours for Parker Palmer.

Customer Rating: 

Let your emotions flow freely, now. I can see the supporters of this effort and their opinions: beautiful, flowing narrative that inspires us, blah, blah, blah. Another Oprah. Another self-proclaimed prophet who speaks for the rest of us, using his experiences and those of a few select people whom he knows to group us all together into one nice neat touchy-feely package. Of course, if he makes a little money while doing it, that's okay, too. I, however, prefer the power of the individual. We will never hear from the really really best teachers - they are too busy teaching to have time to write a book. They are in the inner cities, the Appalachians, the coal towns, etc., doing their job, not talking about it. Call me cynical, but I am always suspicious of anyone who seeks to "enlighten" us with their own experiences, UNLESS it is done anonymously. I believe it was the Talmud that said that the highest from of giving was that which was done anonymously. So it is with teaching. The nameless ones who buy their own supplies, and spend the extra hours, etc... those who will never be named in a book... they are the ones that should be celebrated. Not some profit seeking writer who wants to trumpet his "accomplishments" and those of his buddies like a big happy "Oprah and friends" network. It is all the same - the elitist "cliques" that come down from onhigh to help us little people... Instead of this book, I shall use my money to buy much needed supplies. I get all the inspirtion I need from the quiet, anonymous teachers who work, and do not have the time for self-aggrandizement.